Above-average athleticism. Extremely quick off the snap. Did not blitz often in college, but flashed impressive explosion when he did. Speed and lack of size makes him a dangerous situational pass rusher; tough for taller offensive tackles to stay low enough to get him engaged. Looks good in zone coverage; stays in his space and keeps his eyes in the backfield. Physical at the line of scrimmage in man coverage; does a nice job getting hands on tight ends and slowing them down. Reliable wrap-up tackler. Experience lining up at all three linebacker positions in a 4-3 scheme (primarily strong-side linebacker). Team captain in junior and senior year. Four-year starter.

Weaknesses:

Size will concern some teams; won’t be a great fit for every defensive scheme. Lacks the strength to consistently shed blocks once he’s engaged. Reliable tackler, but sometimes lacks the strength and explosion to bring the ball carrier to the ground without help. Inconsistent with the angles he takes in pursuit, and often relies on his speed to make up for mistakes. Limited experience against top competition.

Comments:

Wagner has the skills to start at the next level, but he’s not a great fit for every system. His lack of size limits the number of teams which will have an interest, as most schemes in today’s NFL favor size/strength over pure athleticism and speed. Wagner’s biggest issue is in run defense, where he really struggles at the point of attack. For this reason, he may actually be best suited to play inside in either a 3-4 or 4-3 system, which will give him more space and limit the instances where he’s engaged at the point of attack against the run.